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Salvaged fresh from the trees, now what?

brockmub said:
So it's the Ultimate Adventure meets the Cheap Truck or as I'm going to call it, "The Ultimate Cheap Adventure Truck Challenge". My brother and I are going to drive from Sioux Falls, SD to Colorado Springs, CO and back again. Should be just over 1500 miles by the time we are done.
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If/when you come out here shoot me a pm. There is some easy wheeling in the Springs area that you could do before heading back.:D
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I'll definitely let you know when I'm planning on being out there. It would be nice to have someone to show me around and wheel with.
 
Budget spent so far...

Item Price
74 Blazer - 500
Battery & Misc - 88
Shocks - 75


You're going to love this one, just got them this week....

Vanity Plates - 40 it was that or some fuzzy dice and seat covers

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Those are great plates, brings a smile to your face.

I like your adventure idea, be sure to post some pics of that. Don't get to caught up in a "Big Build", you could get some 32" tires, and a rear locker and have a lot of fun with that. You'd be able to do a lot, and you could build it bigger later without having a lot invested. A lot of guys (me included, to some degree) get caught up in this notion of "It's not going anywhere 'til it's on 40s" and have something that just sits in the garage for 2 years.
 
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OffRoad said:
Those are great plates, brings a smile to your face.

I like your adventure idea, be sure to post some pics of that. Don't get to caught up in a "Big Build", you could get some 32" tires, and a rear locker and have a lot of fun with that. You'd be able to do a lot, and you could build it bigger later without having a lot invested. A lot of guys (me included, to some degree) get caught up in this notion of "It's not going anywhere 'til it's on 40s" and have something that just sits in the garage for 2 years.
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Well that's the idea. I have $700 into it right now and have another $800 to spend. I'm hoping that gets me a reliable engine, some tires w spare, and maybe a cup holder. What would be the largest tire I could go with stock axles? 33s? I should have to do any fender trimming if that's the case. Now I'm just keeping my eyes open for some Craig's list deals on tires and maybe a tire carrier.

I should probably get a high lift and a gas can too.
 
That's a sweet 78... those look like just the right size of tires I'm looking for. Enough to fill in the wheel wells and get some good traction. As it is, it feels like those little doughnuts on the truck right now are going to crush under the Blazers weight.

I'll throw some pics out there of the engine rebuild soon. They won't be terribly exciting but at least everyone will be able to see the steps. I've got the aftermarket AC compressor off and stashed away in case I want on-board air later on.

Now I just have to clean up the carb and check the rest of the motor.
 
Spent some more money

So I went down to the local Advance Auto Parts and spent some more money.

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So I got 2 gallons of ATF, 2 gallons of AntiFreeze, spark plug wires, cap and rotor, transmission filter and gasket. They didn't have everything I needed so I had to make one more stop for... mouse traps. There's a little bugger in there some where and he's coming out.

The wipers are the old ones that I pulled off my wife's Accord and my Cherokee, but they are still good enough for the Blazer. Should I count the fluids as part of my budget or can I count them as a consumable product like gasoline? I spent $99.75 last night if you count the fluids.
 
Looks like your headed in the right direction. Dont forget to enjoy the build along the way too. Some of us, me included, only look toward our goal rather than the road we took to get there.
 
On my build, I have been saving all my receipts just to get a feel for what you have spent. Most of that stuff is a once every couple of years purchase, but I would count it in the original budget spent. Good luck with your project.
 
I Got LUCKY!?!

So I'm not sure but I think I got a good deal on Craigslist. I found these 4 Gumbo Mud tires for $400. Now I just need to get them mounted on my rims and we are good to go. They aren't perfect but I think they have a lot of wear left in them and are a great place to start until I have a better idea of where I want to go next. It makes more sense to do this than spend $800 on brand new tires.

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I think they would look great on Rusty Jr.

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As you can tell I have a small transmission leak that I need to find and fix. They make my BFGs look pretty small.

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The Gumbos are 33x12.50x15 and the BFGs are 235/75r15... And yes... my tire on the Jeep was a bit low.
 
Tires... Oil Leaks... Seats...

Finally have the time to work on the $1500/1500 mile Blazer. Since I'm a teacher, I talked the Auto Tech kids into working on the truck and get some work done in the school's shop. They mounted the tires and started buttoning up some of the oil leaks. The tires look great on the stock rims and I can't wait to test them out.

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It looked like there was a leak in the rear main so they are going to pull the motor to double check it. It's starting to really come together. Also had the radiator cooked out and checked so I'm not in Western Nebraska overheating.

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I'm going to work on the seats this weekend and I'll post some comparison shots. The guys in the shop had better finish up those oil leaks because there's only 4 weeks of school left!!! After that's done, I need to figure out how I'm going to store a spare tire, either a rear tire carrier or an expedition rack. I don't want a 33" spare bouncing around in the back of that thing...

Any ideas for my spare problem other than getting the rear bumper from Blazen OffRoad? Don't some of the later models have rear carriers mounted on the rear fender? Can't I do that?
 
My spare is mounted on the back on the outside. Came from the factory that way. the only problem I have with it is the usual rattle. But works fine, should be able to hold a 33" spare. Would be a cheaper way to go or, use the mounting holes in the cargo area.
 
zombiyjay76 said:
My spare is mounted on the back on the outside. Came from the factory that way. the only problem I have with it is the usual rattle. But works fine, should be able to hold a 33" spare. Would be a cheaper way to go or, use the mounting holes in the cargo area.
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Ummm...even if he does manage to find one of those stock tire swing away carrier AND gets the reinforcement brackets that a lot of folks miss they're known for tearing the sheetmetal. Even with stock sized 31's this happens. I wouldn't hang a 33 from one of those.

That said 33's do fit on the stock in cab tire carriers. At least they did on my '86.
 
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